Panic Over; Party Off, Party On

“So I’m going to need the car after school.” I said the next morning in the passenger seat of our car. Eric grunted some kind of response, too busy trying to pass a slow moving car in front of us. “Eric? Are you okay with that?” I pressed, shifting my bag on my lap.

“Yeah, yeah whatever.” He replied, lifting one hand off the wheel and waving all my concerns away. I sighed from relief, knowing that if I didn’t leave immediately after school for Zack’s house, and instead went home first, my mother would find out, and she would never allow me to go to a boy’s house on my own. The only way to pull this off was to go straight to Zack’s place after school.

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“Are you going home?” Kara asked as she, Rian and I walked towards the parking lot after school. I could see out of the corner of my eye that the two of them were holding hands, and I could feel a tingling sensation in the palm of mine, as though something was missing from it.

I shook my head in response. “Nah, I’m going to head over to Zack’s place for a bit.” I heard Kara ‘aw’ in response and Rian chuckle.

“What do you guys do when you’re together, anyway?” Rian asked, his tone genuinely curious. We stopped in front of my car, and I could see from the look in Kara’s eyes she was curious, too, but not in the same way that Rian was.

I opened my mouth to respond, but I stopped short. Zack didn’t tell people what we did together, even if all we ended up doing was homework and eating. Would it be right of me to tell someone? Zack had constantly stressed how he wanted what we did together to be between the two of us, and I kind of liked that idea. However, he said that he would shrug whenever someone asked about our hangout sessions, but merely shrugging didn’t seem like an appropriate response at this point in time. “You know,” I replied slowly, taking my time in choosing the right words. “We hang out, watch TV, nothing too amazing.” Kara cocked and eyebrow, and Rian just shrugged and began pulling her towards his car. “See you guys tomorrow.” I finally said, and watched them wave back to me before Kara whispered something in Rian’s ear.

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By the time I had driven to Zack’s house, gotten lost twice, and nearly crashed into another car, it had started to rain. The weather channel this morning said to prepare for some pretty bad storms tonight, but this just looked awful. It was gray and bleak out, but dark at the same time. Had I not been so excited to finally see Zack’s house, I probably would have been a bit frightened.

Zack’s house was smaller than mine, but a bit more picturesque. A red door with white shutters, it was kind of like what every little girl dreams of growing up to live in. I fumbled with the keys as I stood outside of my car in the rain, trying to quickly lock it. When my car was locked I hurried to the front steps, my bag slung over one shoulder and my arms crossed over my chest. There was nothing covering the front step, so as I stood waiting for someone to hear the doorbell rain poured down on me. I must have stood outside for three minutes at least, slowly becoming wetter and wetter, until I finally considered ringing the doorbell again. I really hated people who were so impatient they had to ring the doorbell twice, but this was a bit crazy. I shivered slightly, my hair now dripping and my shirt fairly wet. Finally I heard a noise at the door, and it opened to reveal a rather out of breath Zack.

“Oh shit, c’mon in.” He said quickly, ushering me in. His house was warm and smelled like one of those cinnamon candles you can buy at any pharmacy. “I didn’t hear the doorbell, and I only noticed you were here when I saw your car in the driveway.” I laughed softly as he took my bag off of my shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around my waist before leading me up to his room.

“It’s cool.” I replied as we walked up the stairs, me in front of him. He shook his head when we reached the top, putting his arm back around my waist.

“Yeah, but now you’re all wet and cold.” I shrugged, running a hand through my damp auburn hair. It didn’t really bother me that much, though I did wish I had remembered to bring an umbrella for when I had to go out to my car to get back home. “Here, this is my room.” Zack said, opening the first door on the left. I entered his room first, amazed at how unlike Jack’s room, you could actually see the ground. Sure, there were a couple of clothes thrown on the floor here and there, along with some schoolwork and some CDs, but overall his room was rather clean. There was an unmade bed in one corner near the window, and in the other a closet and a desk. On the other side of the closet there was a door that I assumed led to a bathroom. Zack put my bag down by his bed, and he walked towards me before embracing me in his arms. “You’re freezing.” I heard Zack whisper; his arms wrapped around my lower back and mine gripping the hem of his shirt. I nodded slightly into his chest, and he just hugged me tighter. “C’mon, I’ll find you something dry to wear.”

I never expected myself to be the kind of girl to wear another guy’s clothes, but then again, Zack wasn’t exactly ‘another guy.’ Zack ended up grabbing me a pair of loose basketball shorts, a baggy t-shirt and a sweatshirt to go on top of that. I tried telling him I didn’t need that many layers, but he wouldn’t even hear me out. The next thing I knew, I was walking out of the bathroom feeling extremely self-conscience in clothes that were too big on me. Zack, who had taken to lying down on his bed, patted the spot on the bed next to the wall in a motion for me to come and sit next to him. I climbed over him slowly, lying down on his bed and resting my head on his outstretched arm. His sweatshirt was big and soft, as if he had never worn it before. The sleeves extended past my hands, and I could smell Zack radiating from the collar. “How was your day?” I finally asked, turning my head on his upper arm so I could see him better.

“It was good.” He replied calmly. “I’m really glad tomorrow is Friday though.” I smirked, completely able to empathize with him.

“Yeah, same.” I responded, turning my body so I was lying on my side and facing Zack. I pulled my arms in towards my chest, letting the last bit of heat I could find radiate towards me.

“Are you hungry?” Zack asked quickly, and I realized that I was. Nodding, Zack removed his arm from under my head gently and we exited his room.

His kitchen was a bit smaller than my kitchen, but nicer in many ways. The appliances seemed newer, the floors just a bit brighter, and the windows showed off more light – or, in this case, gray dreary sky. I glanced out the window that was above the sink, noting the rain that seemed to pour heavier by the minute. All of a sudden, there was a huge clap of thunder and I nearly jumped out of Zack’s sweatshirt. My breath was unsteady, and I tried laughing at my own uneasiness, but it just seemed like I was panting. Zack laughed at my skittish behaviors, before pulling me into a hug. “I didn’t know you were scared of thunder.” He said in between his laughs. I shook my head, but I didn’t unclasp my hands from around Zack’s back.

“I’m not!” I exclaimed, a smile finally making its way to my lips. “I just wasn’t expecting that.” I said a bit softer, pressing my face against Zack’s chest. His grip tightened around my back and I heard him chuckle softly.

“Whatever you say, Rem. Whatever you say.”

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“Alright, throw it again.” I said in between laughs. I had discarded Zack’s sweatshirt, leaving me only in his dark green t-shirt and his silver basketball shorts. I took a few steps back, readying myself for when he would throw a piece of cereal my way. I watched him slowly pull his arm back, and then launch the small cereal bit towards me. I opened my mouth, but instead of feeling it land on my tongue, I felt it bounce off my nose. I put my hand out quickly, bobbling it in the palm of my hand until I was able to put it in my mouth. Zack laughed and I smiled. “How many points was that?” I asked.

“Uh…” Zack paused, thinking of a point value for my catch. We had been at it for fifteen minutes, throwing cereal pieces at each other and grading our ability to catch them in our mouths. “Two points.” Zack finally responded, and my face fell. “Well you didn’t catch it in your mouth! And you didn’t catch it in your hand either!” He insisted, and I tried to hide my smile. “You bobbed it up and down before you ate it. You lost points for that.”

“Oh, fine!” I exclaimed over-dramatically, walking over to the bed and falling stomach and face first on the comfortable mass of blankets. Zack moved towards the wall, and I was able to lift my legs up so I was lying on my stomach completely. I could feel some of the cold air in the room hit my lower back, I suppose from where Zack’s shirt had ridden up when I fell on to his bed. I felt a warm hand resting gently on my back, and my muscles tightened under it. But after a split second of realizing the only hand it could have possibly been was Zack’s, I relaxed. His hand left warm traces on my skin as he slowly rubbed his way under my shirt and on to the middle of my back. His hand made light, consistent circles that made me want to fall asleep, yet I forced myself to keep my eyes open slightly just to see what would happen next. Zack continued to rub my back gently, until I felt him stop at the strap of my bra. He lifted his fingers up slightly, as if unsure if he was allowed to touch my bra. “That feels good,” I mumbled softly, and I could make out just barely a return of confidence to his face as I felt his hand return to my skin.

And, because all wonderful moments must end, a few seconds later another loud boom was created, the storm outside making itself known yet again. I jumped slightly, and Zack laughed before removing his hand from under my shirt. “And you said you weren’t scared of thunder.” He mused, and I rolled my eyes as I sat up.

“I’m not.” I defended. “I just never seem to expect it, really.” I looked outside of the window, where the night sky was pitch black and the rain poured heavier than before. As much as I hated to admit it, I knew that I should be getting home. My mom was probably worried, and my brother was probably concerned for the whereabouts of our car. “I guess I should head off now.” I muttered, looking at his bedside table to his alarm clock. It was only about 8:30, but it felt much later for some reason or another.

Zack furrowed his brow in confusion. “It’s pouring out, Remy. Don’t be stupid. You’re not driving home in this weather.” Though Zack’s face was serious, and his intentions good, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Zack, don’t be ridiculous. How do you expect me to get home if I don’t drive?”

“I don’t know! But you’re not driving home right now. You’ll get into a wreck.” I was flattered that he cared that much, but what did he expect me to do? Spend the night at his house with him? Zack shrugged. “You can stay here if you want.” I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could, Zack was leaning over me and taking my phone out of my bag. “Here, call home and tell your parents. I’m sure they’ll understand.”

Unfortunately for Zack, he hadn’t met my mother, and the chances of her letting me stay at a boy’s house were lower than low, especially since his parents weren’t home, and especially since she had yet to meet him. However, as I dialed my house number on my phone, the more I thought about it the more I hoped that, by some stroke of fate, she’d let me stay.

“Hello?” Came the voice on the other end, and my heart skipped a beat when I realized it wasn’t my mother’s voice, but my father’s.

“Hey dad. It’s Remy.”

“Oh good, you called. Where are you?” I opened my mouth to answer (and I was going to answer honestly, mind you; I wasn’t about to go off and lie to my father) but he quickly cut me off. “Look, you’re a friend’s house, right? Can you just stay there for the night? Eric’s been throwing up everywhere for the last few hours, and now you’re mom’s been complaining of not feeling well either. I mean, I’d get out of here too, but then who would bring them both seltzer and saltines?” His voice sounded bitter, yet he laughed slightly, so I forced myself to do the same. “So you can spend the night there?”

“I’m at a boy’s house, Dad.” I mumbled slightly, and I knew I shouldn’t have said anything when I heard no response from the other end of the line.

“Jesus, Remy.” I heard him mutter under his breath. “If you don’t feel comfortable staying there tonight, then come home, but by then I’ll probably be sick too and –“

“No, it’s not that!” I nearly exclaimed, glancing over at Zack, who seemed very entertained by all of this. “I just… figured you wouldn’t be okay with it?”

“Well I trust you, so don’t do anything you’ll regret.” I nodded quickly, and then realized he couldn’t see that.

“Yeah, of course.”

“Alright, be safe Rem, and I’ll call you in the morning.” I listened for the click of the other phone, before hanging up my cell and putting it on the floor gently, all while staring off into space. It was as if all of the stars in my life had aligned at one precise, perfect moment. My always-overprotective mother was too sick to make a fuss over my whereabouts, and my usually semi-protective father was too busy taking care of her to give a damn. I couldn’t wait to tell Eric about this (when he wasn’t so sick, of course) because he had been trying for years to get our parents to let him stay at a girl’s house unsupervised, but they had never bought it. Either they trusted me more, or I was just in the right place at the right time.

I would have taken either, at that point.

“So what did they say?” Zack asked.

“They said I could stay.” I responded, still amazed at how I had managed to pull it off.

Zack chuckled. “I told you they would.” He pointed out, a smug look coming across his face. I rolled my eyes and pushed him back against the bed.

“It wasn’t because of the weather, Zack. It’s because everyone’s sick at my house.”

Zack continued smiling. “It’s all the same in the end.”

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“Zack, are you home?” I heard someone call, and then shut the door behind him or her. It was the sound of a woman’s voice, and I could feel my stomach begin to churn at the thought of meeting Zack’s mother. I looked down at myself quickly, wondering how she’d react to seeing her son’s friend wearing his clothes. It was about 9:45, and Zack and I hadn’t gotten off of his bed since I had called home. Zack looked at me quickly, his expression unreadable, before crawling over me and walking out the door. I followed slowly, a few steps behind him as he went down the stairs. “Oh, there you are Zack. I’m sorry I’m home late. Can you help me with the groceries, they’re –“ She stopped short, looking at me behind Zack. She looked nice enough, though I felt her gaze penetrate the barrier that was Zack, and shoot right towards me.

“Mom, this is Remy.” Zack replied, his voice calm yet confidant. He stepped off the stairs and off to the side, leaving me a victim to his mother’s stare.

“It’s nice to meet you.” I said, perhaps a bit too meekly. I took the final steps off the stairs and found myself being drawn to Zack’s side. I wished he’d put his arm around my waist like he normally did whenever I stood this close to him, but his arm stayed firmly glued to his side. His mother continued to look me over, I continued to shake slightly, and Zack continued to do nothing. “Would you… like some help with your bags?” I offered, and her gaze seemed to soften.

“That’d be great.” She said. “Remy, why don’t you take these two, and Zack can take the rest.” I watched as Zack’s mom took one grocery bag in each hand, and walked into the kitchen. There were still seven grocery bags in the front hall, and I stood still as Zack struggled to find a way to carry five in two hands, but I just laughed and took one away from him before grabbing my original two. “Zack you can show Remy where everything goes, right?” She asked, her back turned to the two of us as she put some fruits and vegetables away in the fridge.

“Yeah, sure.” Zack mumbled, beginning to unload some bags. I did the same, and we worked in silence for the next few minutes. Occasionally Zack would point me in the right direction as to where a particular kind of food went, but other than that the air was quiet – and awkward.

“So, Remy.” Zack’s mother said, wiping her hands on her pants when she had finished her bags. I had finished unloading mine already, too, and was now in the process of helping Zack. “It’s getting pretty late. Don’t you think your parents are worried?” I opened my mouth to respond, but Zack cut me off quickly.

“Actually, Remy’s going to sleep here tonight.” I couldn’t read his expression, nor could I read his mother’s as they stared at each other. It was as if they were talking with only their eyes. I wished my mom and I had our own language like that for when we wanted to talk privately in front of other people, but then I remembered we did: French. “Remy, why don’t you go up to my room and pick out a movie.” His voice was low, calm, and strong, but his eyes stayed glued to his mother’s. I nodded slightly before walking out of the kitchen and towards the stairs. When I was about halfway up, I stopped, the voices in the kitchen too clear to ignore.

“I don’t think this is a good idea, Zack. What about her parents? If I had a daughter, I wouldn’t let her sleep over at some boy’s house who I had never met before.”

“Remy’s not like that, mom. And neither am I. Besides, her parents said she could stay here. Her brother and her mom are sick, and they don’t want her driving home in this weather.”

“I know, but you’re seventeen years old. Seventeen year old boys and seventeen year old girls don’t sleep at each other’s houses without doing more.” I felt myself flinch slightly. I could hear his mother sigh quietly before continuing. “Look, why don’t I go and set up the guest room for her?”

“She can decide if she wants to sleep there or not.”

“That wasn’t a choice, Zachary! She’s either sleeping in the guest room, or she’s driving home. End of story.”

And with that, I heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. I didn’t bother waiting to see who it was, I just ran up the steps and into Zack’s room. I slumped near the small TV in the corner, pretending to flip threw his DVDs but instead just trying to calm myself down. When I heard the door open and then close, I didn’t bother looking over my shoulder. “Did you find a movie?” Zack asked, sitting down on the floor next to me.

I shook my head. “No, not yet. Did you have anything in mind?” Zack sighed and leaned back, propping himself up on his elbows.

“How much did you hear?” He muttered, and I froze. When I didn’t answer for a few seconds, he went on. “I’m not angry, Remy. I would have listened in, too, if it was you and your mom.”

I shrugged, reaching up and tying my red hair in a loose bun. “All of it.” I responded meekly.

Zack nodded and stood up, extending his hand in a gesture for me to grab it. I took his hand and stood slowly, waiting for him to make some kind of decision. I wouldn’t have been angry if he showed me the guest room; I didn’t want to be the reason for Zack getting into trouble. But at the same time, Zack’s bed was so comfortable, and I could only imagine how comfortable it would be having Zack next to me under the covers. “C’mon.” He said softly, leading me to his bed. “If we go to sleep now, my mom won’t make you move.” I nodded and crawled over to my spot by the wall, adjusting the covers so you could actually sleep under them. I watched Zack strip his shirt, then his pants, before walking over to shut the lights off. I only got a few seconds to look at Zack while he was in only his boxers, but I promise, it wasn’t a bad sight. I felt bad for a split second, watching him take his clothes off and walk towards the light switch, so I turned so I was lying on my side facing the wall. I felt the bed shift as Zack crawled in, his arm gently being draped around my waist, and his warm chest being pressed against my back.

“Hey Zack.” I whispered softly.

“Yeah?”

“You know how you said you’d listen in if I was talking to my mom about you?”

He seemed to stiffen slightly. “Yeah.”

“Well, she only yells at me in French.” It seemed as though my lame attempt at humor had passed over his head, until I heard him chuckle slightly.

“Sleep tight, Remy.” He said, and for a second I thought I felt his lips press against the top of my head. I smiled softly, before letting my eyes shut. I wasn’t asleep, though, as I tried to steady my breathing. I heard the door open slightly, a stream of light entering the otherwise dark room. I saw the form of Zack’s mother standing there, but I squeezed my eyes shut quickly, remembering what Zack said: if we were asleep, she wouldn’t move us. I ever so slowly reached around with my arm, taking Zack’s hand that was hanging over my waist in mine. I figured he wouldn’t respond, but instead I felt his fingers interlock with mine. As Zack’s mother closed the door soundlessly, I was finally able to fall asleep with ease.